


How Ekkreth Stole Themself (and Others)

by opensummer



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Fairy Tale Logic, Gen, Mythology - Freeform, Tatooine Slave Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 17:15:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11902398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opensummer/pseuds/opensummer
Summary: One day a slave was going along-





	How Ekkreth Stole Themself (and Others)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fialleril](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fialleril/gifts).



> I needed something positive not too long ago and [fialleril's worldbuilding](http://fialleril.tumblr.com/) is always that for me so I asked for permission to write a Ekkreth myth from a list of their suggestions and when they said yes came up with these. I'm not 100% satisfied with it but I had a lot of fun playing in this sandbox.

One day a slave was going along-

_ “That’s not how these stories start.” _

_ “Isn’t it?” _

_ “No!” _

_ “Very well.” _

One day a slave, who was not yet Ekkreth, was going along. They had been sent to the desert on Depur’s bidding to find water, given seven days to find a new source for the moisture vaporators otherwise his transmitter would be activated and there would be no more of the slave who was not yet Ekkreth.

_ “But Ekkreth is free.” _

_ “And this is the story of how they became free.”  _

The slave who was not yet Ekkreth was keeta-du, a slave who had forgotten where they came from. They feared Depur’s wrath and had given up all thoughts of resistance. So they went into the desert with no thought of what they could do with this time away from Depur. 

For the first three days they found no water. This was not uncommon on this new planet, for the slave who was not yet Ekkreth had been brought here by Depur and it was a strange and hostile land with it’s two suns and shifting sands. On the fourth day the slave who was not yet Ekkreth again found no water and they begin to despair for they had only three more days in the desert to find water and return to Depur and the way back was far and hard to travel. 

On that night they camped beneath the three moons, their belly rumbling with hunger, for Depur cares nothing for a slave, and had given the slave who was not yet Ekkreth no supplies but a transmitter to leave at the water source and a flagon too small for seven days of water. 

It is a small cruelty in a lifetime of them.

And under the three moons the slave who was not yet Ekkreth gave voices to their worries and Ar-Amu, mother of all, heard them and sent a storm.

The storm was a sandstorm, for there had only been one type of storm on Tatooine since the Depur arrived and the slave who was not yet Ekkreth saw the storm coming on the horizon and gave into despair. They had no cover and the storm would strip the flesh from their bones and even if they survived their Depur would detonate the bomb beneath their skin. Either way there would be no more of the slave who was not yet Ekkreth and they understood then the depths of Depur’s cruelty.

The slave who was not yet Ekkreth was never meant to succeed. 

But Ar-Amu would never harm a child of her blood, even one who is Keeta-du.

_ “Remember child when Ar-Amu promised freedom she meant it for all of the fettered.” _

_ “I know Amu. But what about Ekkreth?” _

The storm came upon them, just as the Sky Walker found a cave that they could shelter in. 

And the storm raged and Ekkreth found themself thinking, if I leave this cave I will surely die. But there was water in the back of the plant and green growing there, still edible, and the transmitter’s signal could not reach through the storm.

And on that night they listened to the wind and heard Ar-Amu’s voice on it, bidding them to walk into the storm. But they were afraid and did not listen.

And on the second night they listened to the wind and heard Ar-Amu’s voice on it, bidding them to walk into the storm. But they were afraid and did not listen.

And finally on the third night, before the seventh day, they listened to the wind and heard Ar-Amu’s voice on it, bidding them to walk into the storm. And they were afraid but this time they remembered Depur’s cruelty and thought I will surely die either way but in this way I will choose my death. 

And Ekkreth who for the first time was themself, walked into the storm at Ar-Amu’s bidding.

_ “As I did.” Shmi says, “And she gave me you.” _

Ekkreth walked into the storm but it did not harm them and at it’s center Ekkreth learned many things.

The first was how to find and remove a slave tracker.

_ “As I will teach you.” Beru says. “Pay attention Lukka.” _

The second was the secrets of the desert- how to find water, how to wrap themselves against the sand and the suns, what was safe to eat and what was not, how to survive on this planet and then how to thrive.

The third was how to shift like the sands of the dunes for Ekkreth the Sky Walker is in all animals and all people who wish to be free. 

And then the storm died and Ekkreth was left with their slave transmitter and the transmitter for the water. To Ekkreth’s amazement it was still only the seventh day and they hatched a plan. 

First they buried their slave transmitter beneath the sands and then they activated the water transmitter and waited. For Depur was greedy and would surely come to Ekkreth believing they would never disobey their master.

And Ekkreth was right. They waited for hour before Depur came over the sands in a skiff loaded with guards but Depur came at the call of a slave. 

And Depur said, “Where is the water slave?” 

“Oh my master,” Ekkreth says, “There is no water here.”

And Depur was angry to be out in the dunes for no reason, “Why should I not kill you where you stand slave.”

And Ekkreth said, “Because today I am free, and you may kill a free man, Master, but it will cost you.”

And Depur laughed, “What madness is this? You are a slave and easily replaced. Bring me the remote!”

And Depur triggered the remote, Ekkreth’s transmitter exploded blowing the sand in a spray of grit and dirt. 

Ekkreth turned into a bird and flew away, covered by the smoke and sand. And Depur thought them dead and was satisfied, until they learned while on they were in the dune sea that Ekkreth had flown to the slave quarters and freed the compound and led the freed into the desert. 

_ "I tell you this story to save your life." _

**Author's Note:**

> About a month ago I fell down the rabbit hole that is [fialleril's tatooine slave culture tag](http://fialleril.tumblr.com/tagged/tatooine-slave-culture) with diversions into both anabasis and double agent vader lost about a day on that and came out the other side both much happier and with _all the feels_ about the prequel trilogy as it could have been. 
> 
> So if you're going to do one thing today go check that out. 
> 
> Also my tumblr's [here](http://openemptysummer.tumblr.com/) come yell about star wars with me


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